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Sports

Football Leaks Website Investigated for Extortion Plot

Football Leaks wants transparency and will apparently use blackmail to get it.

Football Leaks, a website that has been in the news recently for what it claims is an attempt to increase "transparency in the world of football," is also not opposed to extorting a bit of a profit out of their efforts. Last week, Football Leaks revealed the £85 million transfer fee that Real Madrid paid to get Gareth Bale from Tottenham, and previously released the fees paid by Man City and Manchester United for Eliaquim Mangala and Anthony Martial, respectively.

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Football Leaks first gained notoriety when it revealed an agreement between Holland's FC Twente and Doyen Sports, an investment agency that loans teams money to help cover transfer fees. Twente are being investigated to see if this arrangement violated Dutch FA rules, but Football Leaks did not stop there. According to emails obtained by The Mirror, a man using the name Artem Lovuzov apparently tried blackmailing the CEO of Doyen, Nelio Lucas.

"The leak is a lot bigger than you imagine…" but adds: "A generous donation, and you can be sure that all the information I possess will be destroyed."
When asked what is meant by "generous", Lovuzov replies: "I think something between €500,000 and a million would be a good donation for this material, but I want to see your suggestion."

What Lovuzov lacks in negotiating expertise, he makes up in persistence. He reportedly continued to contact Lucas, extending dates and times for compliance, to no effect. As a result, Portuguese police are investigating the matter. It is believed the people behind Football Leaks are from Portugal, and Portuguese club Sporting CP has also complained to police about the leaks. For its part, Football Leaks has issued a statement on its site denying the allegations as "pure fantasy" and "collusion" between Doyen and Portuguese authorities.

[Mirror]